The 12th Annual Round the Bay Relay and Ultra is in the books and according to all, it was another successful event!! A big thank you to all the runners, volunteers, sponsors and supporters for your part in making this race the most fun race of the year!! The weather gave us a break and the runners took advantage of a good running day. The post-race continues to be a huge hit with Billie Adam's food, B.T. Turner's live music, great fellowship and the hospitality of The Elks Lodge. 

I'll start updating parts of the website today to reference the 13th Annual Round the Bay Relay and Ultra tentatively scheduled for Saturday, December 30th, 2023. Once again, thanks for participating and have a healthy 2023 running year!!!

FINAL RACE DAY PREPARATIONS:

1. Please show proper respect to Corporal Ray Hamilton’s funeral procession. He gave his life for our protection, and we want to honor him and his family.
   1. When returning to The Elks, if traffic is backed up, you may park in the Destin West parking garage, the Welcome Center or Beasley Park across from the Elks and walk across the street to the post-race.
   2. I have an American Flag for each team. Feel free to bring your own to add to it.
2. If weather conditions deteriorate during the race, make a smart safety decision!
3. Starting Line- make sure your runner is at the starting line ten minutes before your designated time to receive the race slap bracelet and final instructions.
4. Food and drinks are provided for runners who paid the entry fee. Non-runners may participate with a $10 donation. Food and beverages were purchased on the paid runner count.
5. For those familiar with the course, it helps if you use alternative exchange areas.
6. Airport- runners will use the service flat road to the left of the overpass. DO NOT GO INTO THE AIRPORT PPROPER.
7. Use the leapfrog approach if your team is not on pace to finish at 12:30. Make sure to do this early in the race as the funeral procession may bring runners to a stop somewhere during the last eight miles of the course. Plan to be at the airport by 10:30-10:45 depending on the speed of your last runner.
8. Our finish line personnel will also be involved in the race. If your team finishes prior to their/my return, check the time and let me know when I get back. Food and drink service will begin at 11:00.
9. See you tonight at Packet Pickup (for those who haven’t already received their swag bags) and let’s have a great race tomorrow!!!!

ULTRA RUNNERS:

1. If you leave before I get to The Elks/starting line, text me at 850-830-6179 with your starting time. I plan to be there by 4:30 AM and will setup under the awning of The Elks. Once you arrive, check in with me.
2. Illuminate and wear reflective gear. The first five miles are really dark!!
3. AID STATION INFO-
   1. First and third station managers- Charles and Debra McKenzie, 2nd station- Daniel Samac
   2. All runners must check in (name and bib number) at each aid station for accountability, even if you have a crew.
   3. The first aid station opens at 7:00 and all runners should be through there no later than 9:00. If you aren’t, text me (850-830-6179) with your name and bib number.
   4. If you have to drop out, notify race director ASAP so I can alert the aid stations and account for you.
4. Airport- run on the flat road to the left of the overpass. You will not enter the airport but will travel parallel to 85 South.
5. I will have a flag for each Ultrarunner just past the Crestview/123 exit from 85 South. They will be placed in the ground about five yards apart. Pick one up for the funeral procession. You may drop the flag off at the third aid station.
6. Aid stations will have extra water if you need it. Have a great race!!!!

*** We are still monitoring the weather for Saturday morning. The starting times are listed on the front page of the website and we will start on time UNLESS there is severe weather/lightning in the area. If there is severe weather in the area, starting times will be delayed until it is safe for runners. 
* All runners starting prior to 6:30 should be illuminated!!!!

* Team captains have received the Safety Notes and Race Course info, so please check with them if you have any question. The safety notes are also listed on the website. 

It's race week!!!
The big question right now is the weather. Currently, moderate to heavy rains are predicted Friday night and early Saturday morning. The prediction is for the rain to end about 9:00 AM on race day. We will run the race rain or shine, unless the severity of the rain and/or lightning makes us make modifications. 

Team captains will be emailed starting times and race safety notes. They will also be placed on the website under Starting Times and Race Rules. 

We are just over a week out and we currently have 36 teams and 31 ultra runners!! I still have room for about 3-4 more teams, so contact me if you are interested. 

​The starting times for the teams have been linked on the Schedules/Start page. I plan to be at Run With It on Saturday morning at 9:00 to pass out team and ultra-race bags for those who will attend the RWI Christmas Eve get together. 

We are now a month out from the race and registration is going well. The race shirts have arrived (new color this year) and the race socks will be here in early December. It's time to finish putting your team together and either sign up on active or send me your form and money. Shirts are guaranteed for the first 300 and we are already half-way there. 
Important dates to remember:
The race is Saturday, December 31st.
Packet Pickup will be Friday, December 30th from 4:30-7:00 at The Island Hotel. (Don't forget the special discount prices for racers at The Island.)
Registration is still $35 with $5 off for NWFTC members. Late fees begin on Sunday, December 11th.
Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving and races are heating up in the area. I plan to attend the Reindeer Dash on Dec 10 and the Egg Nog Jog on Dec 17th. Similar to past years, I will begin handing out team bags at the Egg Nog Jog. 

We are now about ten weeks away from the race so it’s time to get your teams together and register. Relay teams can register on www.active.com or by filling out a registration form which can be found on the NWFTC site, www.nwftc.com. Ultra runners will need to register on www.ultra signup.com and we have a good group already registered. 
I will be attending many of the local races and will have registration forms available and can take you form and money. 
Shirts and socks will be ordered shortly and will be first come/first serve. 
​I can be contacted at dennissamac@gmail.com if you have any questions. 

Welcome to our website and our first informational blog for the 2022 race. This year, we celebrate our 12th Annual Race and with the past success very little will change. The Elks Lodge will again host the start and finish line along with our festive post-race. Music, food, beverages and the scenic backdrop of Choctawhatchee Bay highlight the post-race event. 

The Island Hotel will continue as our host hotel with discounted room rates available. The race date matches up perfectly for a three day/two night weekend stay at the beach It will also be the site for our Packet Pickup on December 30th and the traditional Bloody Mary Run on Sunday, January 1st, 2023. Once again, we will give you an opportunity to run the last race of the year and the first race of the year!!

I plan to add additional information once a month as the race gets closer and weekly the last 4-5 weeks prior to the race. Put the dates on your calendar and watch for the registration to open for Ultra runners on August 1st and Relay runners on September 1st. 
​If you have any questions, I can be reached at dennissamac@gmail.com.

*The race is now just five days away!! 45 relay teams and 32 ultra runners are set to go for a total of 350 runners.
*Packet pickup is Thursday at The Island, hotel by RL from 4:30-7:00.
*Friday morning- the first ultra-runners begin at 3:00 AM with a large group leaving at 5:00 AM. The first relay teams leave at 6:00 AM with large groups at 6:30 and 6:35.
* Everyone that leaves before 6:15 should be highly visible!!
* All runners have to sign the safety disclaimer before participating. If you haven't already signed, there be sheets inside the Elks and at the starting line.
* Currently, the weather looks to be warm and humid so please plan accordingly.
* There are six designated race legs, but the legs may be broken into whatever works best for the teams. Teams that make their exchanges outside of the normal zones, help to decrease congestion in those areas. 
*PARKING- due to limited spaces, teams should only park one vehicle in the Elks lot. The other vehicles can park across the street. Please carpool!!!
* Let's have a great race and be safe!!

We are just over three weeks out for the Dec. 31st race and here are some updates:
* The shirts are in!!!  For correct sizes, register early!!
* Runners will also receive a race towel and each team a race poster.
* Post-race party- Food, beverages and live music from 11:00-1:00.
* Awards presentation will begin at 1:00.
** All runners should finish by 12:45!!! Teams will need to use the "hurry-up" rules if they aren't on track to finish by 12:45.
* If you haven't signed up yet, runners may sign up on active.com, ultra-runners on ultrasignup.com, mail your registration form to the race director or I will be at the Reindeer Dash (The Landing in FWB) and the Egg Nog Jog at Uptown Station.
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